Jar-opener.



No. 705,941. Patented My 29, I902.

' W. S- MARSH.

JAR OPENER.

(Application filed. Apr. 1, 1902.)

(No Model.)-

1 I L I I I Svwzufoz I Witness? O; W

m: Nunms straws cu. movmnuo WASHINGION u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. MARSH, OF INTERVALE, MAINE.

, (JAR-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,941, dated July 29, 1902.

Application filed April 1, 1902. Serial No. 100,927. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that'I, W ILLIAM S MARSH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Intervale, Cumberland county, State of Maine,

have invented certain new and useful Improveinents in Jar-Openers; and my pre ferred mannerof carrying out the invention is set forth inthe followingcfull, clear, and exact description, terminating with claims particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to kitchen and table articles, and more especially to that class of devices known as stopper-extractors; "and its object is to produce a tool for quickly and easily removing the stopper or closure from fruitrjars. Such jars are usually filled with fruit while boiling hot and their glass covers are put in place usually with a rubber gasket between them and the mouth of thejar-and as the fruit becomes cool the suction draws the cover into place. Considerable difficulty is experienced in removing these covers, owing to the fact that they are of brittle material, and the purpose of the present invention is to construct a tool which will do this work without injury to the jar or its cover or to the hands of the operator and without causing small particles of glass to be dropped into the preserves, as is so often the case.

To this end the invention consists in a tool constructed substantially as hereinafter de scribed and as shown in the drawings, wherem- Figure I is a perspective view of a fruit-jar in the act of being opened by the use of one of these tools. Fig. II is an enlarged plan" View of one member of the tool, and Fig. III is a similar view of the other member of the tool.

In the drawings, J is the jar, which is usually of glass.

R is a rubber ring or gasket which generally lies in a groove in or on the mouth of the jar, and C is the cover, (also usually of glass,) having the well-known flange F, which projects outward over the gasket flush with the outer periphery of the jar at its mouth.

Nothing is claimed for the parts thus far described.

Coming now to the present invention, my improved tool consists of two members, (best seen in Figs. II and III, in which they are drawn nearly to full size.) One member comprises a ring 1, from one side of which projects a handle 2 and from another side of which projects an ear 3, and a" pin or stud 4 rises from this ear. The other member has a nearly-straight body 21, one end of which forms a handle 22, while the other end is slightly enlarged and is provided with an eye 24 of a size to fit over saidpin or stud 4. The latter may be a bolt, rivet, or a screw, and it forms a pivotal connection between the two members, the arrangement and the shape of the members being such that when the two handles are pressed toward each other the inner or working edge of the body 21 (which is dished a little, as at 20) will be brought just flush with the adjacent inner edge of the ring 1. These two members are of any suitable material, such as metal or stout wood, and are rather fiat, so that they may lie and work in parallel planes.

The distinct and especial point of novelty in the present invention consists in forming on or attaching to the body 21 at a point on its dished edge 20, about where is shown, a wedge 23, which is preferably of steel or hard metal, its wider outer end being connected with the body member and its inner sharp and slightly-flattened end projecting in a direction and to an extent which will bring it into the contour of the circle formed by the ring 1 when the handles are pressed toward each other.

In operation the ring is placed over and around the cover of the jar and held firmly inposition by grasping the handle 2 in the left hand, so that the ring shall stand opposite the gasket. The handle 22 is then gently moved inward by theright hand toward the handle 2, care being taken to enter the tip of the wedge under the flange F of the cover, so

as to raise the latter off the gasket, break the suction, and admit air to the jar. Experience has shown me that this can be done without injuring the jar or its contents and without danger to the operator. The cover is then removed with one hand, while the other hand is left free to handle the tool.

I do not confine myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth, nor to the shapes, sizes, proportions, and materials of parts, excepting as is necessary to produce a successf ull y-operatin g device, which is a commercial possibility.

What is claimed as new is- 1. The herein-described jar-opener made in two members, of which one comprises a ring and a handle, the other comprises a handle with a wedge projecting from that edge which stands toward the interior of the ring, and a pivotal connection between the two members.

2. The herein described jaropener, the same consisting of one member having a ringshaped body with a handle projecting from one side and an ear projecting from another side at a point about ninety degrees from the handle; a second member consisting of a nearly straight body dished at one edge to WILLIAM S. MARSH.

\Vitnesses:

EARL H. JORDAN, NELLIE W. LARRABEE. 

